Draft gear



E. F. CARRY DRAFT GEAR F''ed NOV. 8, 1925 2 Sheets-*Sheet l Dec. 9, 1924.

Dec. 9, 1924.

E. F.. CARRY DRAFT GIEAR F'fIed Nov. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N OOOOOOT lill/Ill Patented Deo. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES l 1,518,389 PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD s. cAitiiir, or CHICAGO, ILnnvoIs.

.suitable to tlie energy of tlie sbockfanld 'vvill insiire smooth; operation inibotli direc ons. Further .objects Will appear Yafndfbe mere clearly; understood vas the disclosure proceeds and the descriptionl is read connection vvitii the accompanying drawings` trating a selected and preferred embodiment of the invention, and ,Wliclil Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional View showing the parts in neutralposition'p Fig. 2 is an end vievv looking at Fig. l from the right; y

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines 3--3 and 4-4 of Fig. Vl; p

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a View `similar toA Fig. 1, illus trating the parts in the positions assume as the draft gear approaches the end of its movement on buff. y Particular description of the embodiment I here Shown.

A dravv bar Iconventiorially 'at lO connected with a draw bar ezrt'enfsionA 1l cated at 1.4.

rje hyaraelie brake terasse inderl 1 5 and asmaller, anxili ly y 16 least ih @replace WhwhJSPJfQYl ind/ers and circumferential' flanges 2 26 secured to the cylinders by machine or the like 27.,

n A piston 2 8divides tbe A. tvvo chambers 29 and 30.` A pisto y31- w'nnetd .t0 1315401128 ,has aiaileldnd) seated ina complemental socket in a cross i cm .#1 by a familiar pivot joint'12. Center s1lls4 are/shown at 18 and the car floor 'is indik'Taeg lieadBi Tand Vsecnisd therein by a key 34. The cross head is carried by the end of the draw bar extension opposite to the pivot joint 12.` y v i y l The cylinder heads 2l and 22 are provided witlicylindrical barrels 35 vand 36 which ree ve spriiigsfand 38 exteding'betvveen moteendsof tlie'seb'arrels and the op- ,nos ,ai essere 37- i The on'fodBl passes out of the barrel on hya"stiiiinggbokf40li'avingfa mov nd viiearis' of which the box aan' adjusted.; i l

The' ripper pf'rtions of the'iianges 23 yare and the cylinder Walls are equipped yvitli tapered ports 42 and 43 leading frein the main cylinder to the auxiliary cylinder. The piston 2S carries a v'al`ve 44 tbrottlingthese ports to decrease or increasetheir area according to the direction ofrfmoyemen'tof piston. The valve 44 is equipped with softmetal liners 45 pressed against tlievalveseatd by springs l47.

ankiliarycylinder is `fitted VWitli a floating piston 48 Which divides it intor tvvo cliainbersfwan'd 50. VThe cylinder heads 2l and 22 la provided `vvitli barrels 5l and52 f ormiifn extensionsof the 'auxiliary cylinder lg, rec'leivingtlie faiiz'iliiary springs 53 and 54l which eiitendbetvveentlie remote ends of I the opposite Jsides of the vafz'filia ygpiston as. .Guides `55 A and `5c formed Q Mnftbe andthe cylinder heads ropeptively serve 'to keep the springs `in f a@ ,e1- d wie site plugs n' eine openings in .tli'e "car i ,i

th the interior of 'i1-nx? ries brackets 65 and 66 equipped with guides 67 and 68 for the cross head 38.

O para tion.

\ parts is required to absorb and dissipate its energy, and suiiicient liquid Will pass by gravity through the port 43 into the chamber 30 to prevent rebound of the piston Q8.

If the shock has suilicient energy tedevelop pressure in the chamber 50 necessary to overcome the spring leand the friction between the piston i8 and the Walls ot the auxiliary cylinder, that piston will begin to move, which Will result in the displacement of liquid in the` chamber i9 andl cause it to be forced through the port i3 into the chamber 30 `in proportion to the enlargement of that chamber due to the movement ot the piston 28. The acceleration ot the iioiv ot lliquid through the port 43 will increase the resistance to that flow which .vill react through the piston 48 and the liquid in the chamber 50 and increase the resistance ot the liquid in the chamber 29, and thus increase the braking action on the piston 23. At the same time theV valve i4 is throttling' the port ft2, which also increases the resistance to escape of liquid from the chamber 29, and therefore the braking action.

It the shock has sufiicientenergy to continue the movement of the pistons the valve `64 Will throttle the port 43, again increasing the resistance to be overcome by the piston .48 Which ivill react through the chambers 50 and Q9 upon the piston 28.

Finallyj if the energy of the shock is sutficient the valve 64e will close or nearly close the port 43, enormously increasing` the sistance offered to the piston d8, and again 'reacting` through the liquid in the chambers 50 and`29 upon the piston 28.

In this condition of the gear the piston L8 can fret relief only through compression ot the air in the chamber 6i and the piston 28 can get further relief only through com-- pression of the air in the chamber- 60, through a small portion of the port 42 left open.` Thus the gear will offer extremely high resistance as it approaches closed position, but this approach will be cushioned by the pneumatic action or" the air 4in the chambers 60 and 61.

The chamber 30 will be kept filled behind the piston 28 and as soon as the shock is spent the compressed air in the chambers 60 and 6l the spring 54 and the spring 3T will start the parts back to their normal position. However, since the recovery ot nor mal position is accompanied by less speed.` the passage of the liquid thifough the ports vvill be opposed by correspondingly less rc- General discussion.

4lhe auxiliaryV cylinder acts as a reservoir insuring;v that the main cylinder will always be filled, to the end that the piston 2S will meet With braking resistance Whether il' is moved by a shock or is recovering` a'l'tcr a shock and the liquid automaticallyalters that resistance to accord With the speed ol the pist-on. By causing the liquid escaping.l from the main cylinder before the piston to force liquid through the port behind thc piston it greatly increases the 'apacity ot the gear. In this connection the piston in serves as a pressure operated delay action valve to throttle the port behind the pislon 28 or opposite to the direction in which it is moved and thus further increases thi.` callan ity ot the gear.

The use ot the auxiliary qvlinder permit-4 the necessary storage capacity to he oltained Within the limited available spacc and alloivs the gear to be made as a singrlc unit that can be readily attached to and rcmoved from the car.

The air chamber directly subject to the pressure ot the liquid escaping troni thc main cylinder serves to cushion the initial movement of the tfrear and renders its action smooth and easy: the other air chanllan' .cushions the succeeding! stage ot the opera tion When the auxiliary piston begins io move; and the tivo chambers jointly cushion the' final movement ot the gear to prevent abrupt closure.

The adjacent ends ot the ports 42 and lli beingT larger than the remote ends.y thc ini` tial flow of liquid vvill be comparati vcly jfrcr and afford maximum relief When the energy' of the shock is at maximum: them as thc energy of the shock is absorbed, the valve M vvill rapidly close the port before the pis-tom or toward which it is moving; then., as the energy is further absorbed, the valve (li will more rapidly cl-ose the port behind thc piston, or away from which it is moving: and. finally, when the shock is spent` the liquid before the piston'can escape only through i much reduced port against the cushi-'ining of the air chambers. Furthermorev` duc 1o the fact that the resistance offered by a. given port is dependent upon the speed with Which the liquid is forced to pass through it1 l Iill the ge-ar automatically adjusts shocks of' different energy.

AItis contemplated that the auxiliary cyl-k cate with the oil chambers adjacent to the" bottoin and through small ports, the entry and egress lof oil thereto will be tlirottled and there will be neither foaming of the oil nor escape of air into the oil chamber. Simply filling the cylinders will cause the necessary air to be trapped in the air chambers.

The springs take care of the ordinary fluctuations in acceleration and retardation of the train in motion and the hydraulic brake will be brought into action chiefly by sudden shocks in buing, starting and stopping. When the train is in motion the pull or push on the draw bar will cause the piston 28 to be slightly displaced and thus increase the capacity olf the gear in case of sudden applica* tion of the brakes. The advantage of this will be appare-nt when it is remembered that the brakes take effect first at the locomotive and then progressively along the cars to the rear of the train and always the braking action of the locomotive is superior to that of any car.

The auxiliary springs 53 and 54 acting through the piston 48 serve in conjunction with the air chambers to cushion the action of the gear and to assist the main springs 37 and 38 in restoring the gear to normal condition after absorbing the shock.

I am aware that some of the features of this draft gear may be used to advantage without other features here shown associated therewith and that many of the features may be modified to adapt the gear to particular uses, and therefore do not wish to be limited by the language and drawings used to make this disclosure, but intend to secure protection commensurate with the invention in every particular.

I claim as my invention:

l; In a device of the class described, the combination of a primary hydraulic cylinder, a piston therein, springs tending to maintain the piston in a neutral position, an auxiliary hydraulic cylinder communicating with the primary hydraulic cylinder through ports arranged on opposite sides of the piston, a floating piston in the auxiliary cylinder, springs tending to maintain the floating piston in aneutral position, and a valve moving with the first piston to throttle said ports.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a primary hydraulic cylinder, a piston therein, springs tending to maintain the piston in a neutral position, an auxiliary hydraulic cylinder, a floating piston therein, tapered ports coiinectiiigthe cylinders on opposite sides of the pistonand a valve moving with the first piston to close said ports.

combination ,of a priinary, hydr Y derapiston therein, springs ,tenx ingflto neutral rasltiqlr an maintain tlieipiston ina a-uiiililyiillydraiilic Cylinder, a ,pisa g t0n'. therein, tapered relis @Canastilla-the cylinders on opposite sides of the pistons, a valve moving with the rst piston to close said ports, and an air cushion communicating with the auxiliary cylinder on cach side of the floating piston. Y

4f. ln a device of the class described, the combination of a primary hydraulic cylinder, a piston therein dividing the cylinder into two chambers, an auxiliary cylinder, ports connecting the auxiliary cylinder with each o the chambers of the primary cylinder and a pressuige operated valve for throttling the port behind the piston.

In a device of the class described, the combination of a primary hydraulic cylinder, a piston therein dividing the cylinder int@ two chambers, an auxiliary cylinder, ports connecting the. auxiliary cylinder with each of the chambers of the primary cylinder, a valve operated by movement of the piston for throttling the port in front of the piston and a pressure operated valve for thrott-ling the port behind the piston.

6, lin a device of the class described, the combination oi' a primary cylinder, a piston dividing the cylinder into two chambers, an auxiliary siiiallei cylinder, a floating piston dividing the auxiliary cylinder into two chambers, ports connecting the corresponding chambers on opposite sides of the pistons and valves operated by the pistons for throttling the ports.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston divid ing the cylinder into two chambers, an auxiliary chamber communicating with the cylinder through ports o-n each side of the piston, a valve moving with the piston for closing one of said port-s, and a delay action valve for closing the other of said ports.

8a ln a device of the class described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston dividing the cylinder into two chambers, an auxiliary chamber comn'iunicating with the cylinder through ports on each side of the piston, a valve moving with the piston for closing one of said ports, and a second valve moving more swiftly than the first to close the other port.

9. In a draft gear, the combination of a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, an auxiliary chamber communicating with the main cylinder through ports on opposite sides of the pistonn air chambers communicating with the opposite ends of the auxiliary #I 23. In` aifdevice of the class chamber and a valve i'or closing the port behind the piston.

l0. In a device of the class described, the eombination of a main cylinder, apiston in 5 the main Cylinder, an auxiliary Cylinder Communicating` with the main cylinder through ports on opposite sides of the piston, anauxiliary piston in the auxiliary cylinder, resilient means tending to retain 10 the pistons in normal position, an air Chamber communicating with the auxiliary chamber and means for throttling the port behind the main piston.

l1. In a draft gear, the ooinbinzu'ion oi' an hydraulic eylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a reservoir communicating with the cylinder, means for throttling the liow oil.i liquid when the piston is moving and means for effecting a secondary throttlinp; of the liquid as the movement continues.

EDWARD F. CARRY. 

